Hu Ping, Qin Xue, Zhu Yajie, Zhang Ying, Yuan Yujuan, Yang Baibing, Wan Wan
Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China.
Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, China.
Transl Androl Urol. 2024 Sep 30;13(9):1859-1867. doi: 10.21037/tau-24-198. Epub 2024 Sep 26.
Infertility, an escalating public health issue, exacerbates psychological distress, especially anxiety, among affected individuals. This study explores the intricate relationships between family function, self-efficacy, and social support in moderating anxiety levels in male infertility patients. Understanding these dynamics offers valuable insights for crafting effective psychological interventions.
This study involved 202 male infertility patients through convenience sampling, employing the Self-Efficacy Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, Family Function Scale, and Anxiety Self-Rating Scale for assessment. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with Bootstrap analysis was utilized to explore the relationships among these variables.
Analysis of 202 male infertility patients revealed a notable prevalence of anxiety (67.8%), with family function directly and indirectly influencing anxiety levels through self-efficacy and social support. SEM highlighted the mediating roles of self-efficacy and social support between family function and anxiety, demonstrating significant direct (family function on anxiety) and indirect effects (family function to anxiety via social support and self-efficacy). Notably, a chain mediation effect, where family function impacts anxiety through the sequential influence of social support and self-efficacy, accounted for a significant portion of the total effect on anxiety. These findings emphasize the critical role of enhancing family function, self-efficacy, and social support to reduce anxiety among this population.
This study underscores the significant impact of family function on the psychological well-being of male infertility patients, with self-efficacy and social support serving as pivotal mediators. Improving these factors could effectively mitigate anxiety, suggesting that interventions targeting family dynamics, self-efficacy enhancement, and social support networks are essential for addressing the psychological distress associated with infertility. Future research should consider these dynamics to develop more comprehensive treatment and intervention strategies aimed at this vulnerable group.
不孕症是一个日益严重的公共卫生问题，会加剧受影响个体的心理困扰，尤其是焦虑情绪。本研究探讨家庭功能、自我效能感和社会支持在调节男性不育患者焦虑水平方面的复杂关系。了解这些动态关系为制定有效的心理干预措施提供了有价值的见解。
本研究通过便利抽样纳入了202名男性不育患者，采用自我效能感量表、社会支持评定量表、家庭功能量表和焦虑自评量表进行评估。运用带有Bootstrap分析的结构方程模型（SEM）来探究这些变量之间的关系。
对202名男性不育患者的分析显示，焦虑的患病率显著（67.8%），家庭功能通过自我效能感和社会支持直接和间接地影响焦虑水平。SEM突出了自我效能感和社会支持在家庭功能与焦虑之间的中介作用，显示出显著的直接效应（家庭功能对焦虑的影响）和间接效应（家庭功能通过社会支持和自我效能感对焦虑的影响）。值得注意的是，一种链式中介效应，即家庭功能通过社会支持和自我效能感的顺序影响来影响焦虑，在对焦虑的总效应中占很大比例。这些发现强调了增强家庭功能、自我效能感和社会支持对于降低该人群焦虑的关键作用。
本研究强调了家庭功能对男性不育患者心理健康的重大影响，自我效能感和社会支持是关键的中介因素。改善这些因素可以有效减轻焦虑，这表明针对家庭动态、自我效能感提升和社会支持网络的干预措施对于解决与不孕症相关的心理困扰至关重要。未来的研究应考虑这些动态关系，以制定更全面的针对这一弱势群体的治疗和干预策略。
